Strood designer Romi Benjamin Abiodun attire music stars Ms Banks and Blanco

A designer’s love of artwork spurred him onto making a clothes model now worn by a few of the newest up-and-coming musicians.

Romi Benjamin Abiodun, from Strood, began the model Vfour in 2017 and has gained a neighborhood following on-line, with greater than 1,000 views per advert on social media websites resembling Fb and Instagram.

The 28-year-old was born in London however spent his secondary college years in Nigeria earlier than transferring again for faculty.

The clothes line specialises in street-wear for women and men made for consolation, resembling hoodies, t-shirts, jogging bottoms and cargo trousers.

He says his time abroad helped him to see a distinct aspect to life.

He mentioned: “My upbringing in Nigeria was fascinating. It helped me to understand who I used to be and what kind of individual I’m.

“It additionally made me assist to see the world from a distinct perspective and suppose otherwise.

“It opened my eyes to the humanities of the world. The way in which I see artwork is so totally different, I may see artwork in somebody speaking.

“I really feel it was rather a lot about self discovery.”

After returning to the UK he got here up with the thought for his clothes line Vfour, street-wear designed for consolation.

He continued: “The inspiration behind Vfour got here from being idle, to be truthful.

“Trend was one thing I used to be at all times into and earlier than the creation of Vfour I had a enterprise referred to as Romi’s Angels.

“That had extra to do with modelling and providing their providers to artists and different individuals who wanted them, principally.

“After I had completed with that, three to 6 months later I began Vfour.”

Taking the Roman numeral V, for 5, and English spelling of 4, the model had a reputation.

Romi continued: “Vfour began in 2017, however I initially got here up with the thought in 2016 once I was at Loughborough College.

“Vfour is an expression of my ideas and what I do – it is about giving my work a reputation.

“I needed to invent utilizing my two most necessary numbers which is 5 and 4.

“I am a non secular man. 4 and 5 are my divine numbers, the numbers are very private to me.

“Something I do which is artsy or associated to my creativity, I title it after Vfour.

“Clothes is an expression of what I really feel on the within.

“I informed myself any piece of artwork that I create can be beneath this class of Vfour.

“It is not simply garments, it has quite a few kinds, even that includes different folks and what they do is Vfour.”

Romi, who has offered his designs from pop-up retailers in Chatham’s Pentagon buying centre, mentioned he felt nice when he noticed folks carrying his model, particularly domestically, however issues had additionally moved on.

He mentioned: “Two years in the past I’d’ve been over the moon if I noticed somebody carrying my model domestically.

“I nonetheless am, however now I really feel prefer it’s one thing I’ve labored at, dreamt and attracted.

“Now I’m attempting to broaden and transfer in the direction of cities resembling Manchester and Birmingham.”

He has quite a few clothes collections which embody the Blue Moon collection, Pink and Blue Capsule, Voltage, and most lately Limescale.

He went onto clarify how the manufacturing course of performs out when creating a brand new assortment.

He mentioned: “From manufacturing to gross sales is a protracted course of. For me, planning begins virtually a 12 months earlier than.

“For instance certainly one of our newest items, the Limescale assortment, started a year-and-a-half in the past.

“Manufacturing takes place six months earlier than the precise launch date.

“I am a really quirky designer so generally I do the mock-ups myself. I am not the perfect at drawing however I’ve acquired concepts which I cross on to the producer.

“After that, we evaluate them and shoot them off to the producer.

“My productions fluctuate as I’ve producers in China, Pakistan, Turkey and the UK.

“The UK, although, are the least used as they’re the costliest. I take advantage of them if I want one thing urgently or if I wish to be there to particularly see the way it comes out and the way it seems.

“However usually our producers talk with us on a relentless foundation, primarily based on the supplies that should be used, the types and samples.”

Romi’s newest assortment – dubbed Limescale, a break from winter – promotes summer season put on which incorporates nylon shorts, caps, sun shades, t-shirts and socks.

He mentioned: “I examined the market with one or two items to see how they responded and other people actually preferred them. Everybody was saying it was my finest piece up to now.

“So with that, I made a decision to drop a summer season assortment from that collection.

“Everybody who has purchased the newest assortment has mentioned they love the design and the persona.

“One in all my main promoting factors is consolation.

“I like folks to be snug in something I make, no matter the way it seems.”

Some notable individuals who have worn Vfour clothes embody recording artists Blanco, Ms Banks, Naira Marely, and Paul Stephan.

All of the artists have 1000’s by way of to hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, serving to to spice up Vfour.

Others embody Instagram motorcycle fanatics, oneway.alff, who has 25.5k followers on Instagram, and Leebikelife who has 17.9k followers.

Romi continued: “Lots of identified folks have worn my garments, however I attempt to not let it overwhelm me.

“The main target is extra attempting to get the genuine nature of the model throughout

“I really feel higher once I know I have never given the garments to somebody and so they’ve purchased it.

“I need my garments to have a component of luxurious, consolation and exclusivity.”

There is no such thing as a such factor as a median day for Romi. He mentioned: “A median enterprise day varies. If we aren’t doing a pop-up store, I am continually engaged on the subsequent factor.

“We’re at all times attempting to improve the model whether or not it’s the web site, engaged on a group, content material or new and inventive methods to convey folks and entice clients.

“It may well get very overwhelming, although. It is tougher when you do not have a relentless group, however that is right down to capital. Lots of the funding comes from private work.

“You get emails from totally different folks, firms and it’s important to simply be on prime of every thing, taxes and all the opposite stuff.

“All the pieces on this business includes cash.”

The hyperlink to Vfour’s web site will be discovered right here.

In his spare time, the designer mentioned he likes to loosen up and rejuvenate inside nature.

He mentioned: “Individuals name me a caveman, a herbalist; I am in-tune with nature. Once I exit, I stroll with out footwear, meditate, keep within the solar.

“I’m very a lot pure, I see the sweetness in every thing relating to nature. I do not kill bugs, as a result of we’re linked to them. Life is nature.

“I am going climbing, I do a whole lot of walks within the woods. I used to be impressed by a really vibrant spider final 12 months, I noticed what the spider was webbing and I created one thing from that.

“Being non secular and linked to nature is similar factor. It’s important to see previous what’s in entrance of you, or previous issues are being informed to you, I believe it is a present.

“My Blue Moon assortment was impressed by a time limit in my life, I used to be at all times noticing the moon, I would really feel prefer it was speaking to me.”